List of All Articles with Tag 'f'

St. Louis Cardinals fans were concerned about starting pitcher Adam Wainwright after he deactivated his Twitter account following a loss to the Cubs in London.If Cards fans thought they were taking this season to heart, look no further than team legend Adam Wainwright as to the impact a disappoi...

Sara Walsh speaks on a real struggle for many couples.

Pete Alonso and the Mets have been on the wrong side of Karma ever since Alonso yelled the words 'throw it again!' towards the Braves Bryce Elder.Trash talk, bat flips, stare downs and an occasional taunt are all part of the new age of baseball. These things can be seen in every level ...

Kyle Lowry was a key piece of the Miami Heat Finals run. But whether by trade or cut, it seems like he won't be back next season.According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Kyle Lowry's time with the Heat is most likely over. Miami is reportedly waiting to try and trade for Damian ...

Following a record-setting 65-win regular season and a disappointing Stanley Cup Playoffs exit, the Boston Bruins are tightening up their roster in hopes of a playoff run next season.The Boston Bruins saw a disappointing end to their 2022-23 season after a phenomenal regular season. An early Rou...

Michael Chandler has insisted that his fight with Conor McGregor will go ahead, despite fears that the latter has missed the deadline to compete in 2023. Chandler vs McGregor was announced by the UFC in February, but no date, location or weight class has been announced for the fight, and it appears that McGregor is unable to compete until next year due to United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) rules. The former UFC champion is seemingly still absent from the Usada testing pool, and athletes must be in the pool for six months and return two negative results – and zero negatives – in order to fight in the UFC. However, Chandler has reassured fans that the fight will go ahead – regardless of when. The American, 37, told ESPN on Wednesday (28 June): “Listen, I understand everybody wants answers, they want results. With a fight of this magnitude – the most exciting guy in mixed martial arts versus the biggest superstar in mixed martial arts – people want answers, and they want them on their timeline. “Their timeline is now. ‘I want my answers yesterday.’ I’m with everybody else, of course, but just let the process play out. Just know that Michael Chandler steps in the cage against Conor McGregor, we put on an electrifying event, and I separate him from his consciousness in the second round. “If there’s one thing I know about Conor: He cares about his public persona, he cares about how people see him, he cares about where he is now and what he has become to the fans. [If you’re not coming back], you don’t do a documentary saying you’re coming back; you don’t tell everybody it’s the greatest comeback in combat-sports history; you’re not out there promoting yourself and saying, ‘This is my game forever, you’ll do what you’re told;’ and calling yourself the pound-for-pound king. “Conor’s coming back. There’s one guy he’s fighting: His name’s Michael Chandler, he’s from High Ridge, Missouri. We are gonna put butts in seats, it’s gonna be an electrifying performance, but I knock out Conor and then maybe he retires after that – we’ll see.” Chandler and McGregor are coaching opposing teams of athletes on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, which began airing in May and will conclude in August. After five episodes, Team Chandler has a 5-0 lead over Team McGregor. This month, Irishman McGregor denied an allegation that he had sexually assaulted a woman at an NBA Finals game. McGregor, 34, was accused of assault in a bathroom at a Miami Heat fixture on 9 June. McGregor also recently released McGregor Forever, the second documentary around his career, and you can read The Independent’s review of the Netflix series here. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor doubles down on Ultimate Fighter criticism as Michael Chandler’s team dominate How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg: Who would win a fight between tech titans? Conor McGregor doubles down on Ultimate Fighter criticism Conor McGregor complains as his team lose yet again on The Ultimate Fighter Conor McGregor’s team fall to 0-3 on The Ultimate Fighter

Liverpool have initiated contact with the representatives of RB Leipzig's Dominik Szoboszlai regarding a summer transfer. Newcastle United are also interested in a deal.

Chelsea’s biggest issue last season was the inability to simply put the ball in the back of the net. Only four teams scored fewer Premier League goals than the Blues (38), with even relegated pair Leeds and Leicester netting more. Strengthening the frontline was always the priority for a west London side in need of a refresh this summer. Yet they had to strike a balance. Chelsea’s squad remains incredibly bloated, though the departures of N’Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly have helped, at the very least, cut the wage bill. Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Edouard Mendy and Mason Mount are expected to follow the pair out of the Stamford Bridge exit as the squad is streamlined. We’re not yet in July but the Blues have at least made their first move to correct their goal issues: Christopher Nkunku has arrived from RB Leipzig on the back of a solid Bundesliga campaign that saw him net 16 times – no player in Germany’s top tier scored more. The 25-year-old won’t be the only forward to rock up in the capital, however, with Nicolas Jackson set to follow suit. Jackson was prepped for a move to Bournemouth in January, only to fail a medical, and was subsequently linked with a move to Aston Villa this summer – yet Chelsea have won the race for the 22-year-old, who scored 12 goals and provided four assists in LaLiga last season, a fine return for a player who registered just 1,603 minutes of game time. Of those 12 goals, 10 were scored since the turn of the year. Only former Real Madrid hitman Karim Benzema (12) bagged more in Spain’s top tier in the first half of 2023. Crucially, Jackson knows exactly where the goal is. Feed the Senegalese star and he’ll score. Of the 120 players to muster 25 or more shots, Jackson returned the best conversion rate (29.3 per cent) in the 22/23 LaLiga campaign. Despite a goal-shy season, Chelsea still averaged the eighth most key passes per game (9.9) in the Premier League, a return that can be improved upon, but a reasonable base nonetheless. In addition, the Blues ranked tenth for big chances created (57), yet in turn missed the sixth most (52). Kai Havertz was the biggest offender, missing 14 clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, but with the German set to leave for Arsenal there is room for a new striker at Stamford Bridge. Jackson, by contrast, performed superbly when the chances were laid out on a plate, returning a clear-cut conversion rate of 56.3 per cent, the best in Spain’s top flight last season. However, there is more to Jackson’s game than scoring goals. He’s not an old-fashioned No 9 but rather a modern-day forward, who looks to link the play as well as get on the end of chances. An average of 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes is a respectable average, while a pass success rate of 76.4 per cent from 17.9 passes per 90 are solid figures for a striker. With Mauricio Pochettino expected to use a 4-2-3-1 setup, he’ll need his leading frontman to work his way into the box and, where needed, hold up possession before laying the ball on for his teammates. Jackson, then, ticks the right boxes. Considering the exciting wingers at Pochettino’s disposal – who’ll undoubtedly benefit from a full pre-season in a settled environment under the Argentine’s watchful eye – and the possibility of Nkunku operating in the No 10 role as a second striker, Jackson’s willingness to bring others into play means Chelsea should quickly dwarf their 38-goal haul from last season. The Senegal star isn’t perhaps the same headline-stealing hitman in the form of Victor Osimhen that some supporters may crave, but then if Jackson is the ideal fit, is that really an issue? Chelsea will be landing a player who will benefit the current crop of attackers on the books at Stamford Bridge and, over the longer term, can become the complete centre-forward with the right coaching. Pochettino, after all, did turn Harry Kane into a world-beater. Read More Mateo Kovacic completes move from Chelsea to Manchester City Koulibaly exits Chelsea to become latest star joining Saudi Pro League Manchester United increase Mason Mount bid Chelsea owners buy stake in French team as part of multi-club ownership plans Robertson appreciative as Newcastle remember Tiote – Wednesday’s sporting social N’Golo Kante, the midfield miracle worker who changed football

The top of the Lakers free-agent priority list is fairly well established. But the players further down that list could be the difference in chasing a title.At this point, everyone knows that priority 1A and 1B for the Lakers this offseason is getting Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura re-signed, w...

Former Red, Aroldis Chapman has been the center of trade rumors recently. But these three former Reds provide more realistic trade options for them.Former Reds closer Aroldis Chapman has been at the center of a ton of trade rumors regarding a potential reunion with the Cincinnati Reds. This rumo...

England midfielder Rhyce Ramsden admits amputee football has opened doors he did not realise were accessible to him. The Everton player has just completed arguably the most successful couple of weeks of his life after scoring twice in the FA Disability Cup final victory over Portsmouth, just days after helping the national team win their first title since 1990. He has already come a long way since getting on his first flight with the England team just six months into his journey in amputee football. “I was 16 and had been playing for six months as an amputee when I got called up to go play in the 2017 Euros in Turkey,” Ramsden told the PA news agency. “Before playing football I’d only ever been on a plane once and been to one other country. “Now I travel the world – I’ve been to Europe, I’ve been to America, Mexico, it’s just a bit surreal what has happened. Playing in front of 42,000 in Besiktas’ stadium was a good experience.” Ramsden sports a floppy centre-parting and headband like Manchester City winger Jack Grealish and, while comparisons were made after his performance at the weekend, there were no post-match celebrations to match the treble winner’s party stop in Ibiza. “I got asked on Saturday when we won the FA Cup if I was going on a three-day bender, but I was back in work in Monday – that was the biggest reality shock,” he added. “Someone put out a post saying, ‘It’s the one-legged Jack Grealish’, but I wanted to reply saying, ‘No, he’s the two-legged Rhyce Ramsden’.” Someone put out a post saying, 'It's the one-legged Jack Grealish', but I wanted to reply saying, 'No, he's the two-legged Rhyce Ramsden' Rhyce Ramsden Ramsden was born with a tumour above his right knee which resulted in amputation at five months old. That did not prevent him playing sport alongside his able-bodied friends, but he admits once he joined the amputee football “family” things changed. “I used to play football with my prosthetic in net for school and one day a coach came down and showed me a couple of clips of amputee football,” he said. “I went to a training camp wanting to still be a goalkeeper, but in amputee football you have to be an arm amputee to be a goalkeeper so I had to get used to being outfield and once I started playing outfield I stopped wanting to be a goalkeeper straightaway. “Even if you don’t play sport there is always a place for you. “There are kids and adults who have lost their legs recently, who never mind playing don’t think they will walk again. “Then they come down and try it and next thing you know they’ve got the bug. “Even if you think the worst is going to happen, that’s not the case, always think positive, get yourself involved.” Ramsden is in good company at Everton as they have six England representatives in the team, who play seven-a-side games which last 50 minutes. Among his team-mates is Steve Johnson, Everton’s disability manager who was world amputee footballer of the year in 1999, has played in three World Cups and scored an extra-time winner against Brazil in the 1990 World Cup final, England’s last tournament success before their recent Nations League triumph in Poland. “I first started in 1987 and then there wasn’t social media, so it was just pitches in limb centres and finding players was a real challenge, but it has grown, social media has helped quite a lot,” said Johnson, who has been involved at Everton since 2003. “Everton has a long history working with disabled people, but we have to generate a lot of those funds ourselves. “The FA put a lot of resources into promoting the women’s game and that needs to happen for disability football, not just amputees, to get them challenging for trophies at major competitions.” Everton in the Community’s disability programme engages more than 200 disabled adults per week and over 400 disabled children and young people each year, offering competitive opportunities for 11 pan-disability and specific impairment teams for children and adults that are available to males and females. “It is open for anyone who wants to take part, it’s not set in stone. We recruit wherever we can,” said Everton Amputees manager and EitC disability co-ordinator Mark Dolan. “The pathway is there to go and play for England. We have various different players along the path and Rhyce is an example of one of the up-and-coming players at England.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Josh Tongue gets late breakthrough as Australia dominate at Lord’s Sir Nick Faldo: LIV Golf won’t survive proposed deal with governing bodies Alessia Russo fully focused on England after ‘tough’ summer of transfer talk

Today's USMNT news includes Folarin Balogun being linked with Lille, Zack Steffen is a target for Leicester City and Ricardo Pepi is set to join PSV.USMNT news: Folarin Balogun to LilleArsenal are set to go on a tour of the USA next month, where they will play fixtures against the MLS ALL-S...